THE HARDWORK ONLY OTHER FARMERS UNDERSTAND

Sweden, then works with the same variety here, the learning curve will start again from zero.”

Just as Canadians turn out a lighter Cabernet Sauvignon than their competitors in California, Roman says educating the consumer about terroir is key.

“The second challenge in a cold climate is actually the market,” he explains. “Swedish consumers are more accustomed to trying wines from abroad, meaning they always compare the wines to southern Europe, and this is a big challenge to educate the market in understanding what our terroir is.

“Swedish wines are very different to other countries, especially red wines. So the Swedish consumer asks often, ‘but can you make this wine more German style or French style’, and my answer is always, ‘yes we could, however these wines represent our microclimate and I don’t want to change their expression.

“We must understand what we can produce and enjoy them for what they are.”

Another way the Scandinavian wineries are similar to their Canadian cousins is that many also offer a full travel experience, including restaurants, upscale accommodation, and spa resorts.

Arilde offers 23 cabin-like rooms, a ‘glamping’ area with luxuriously equipped tents, conference and wedding facilities and a fine restaurant serving up fine Swedish cuisine.

Another good example is the new Ästad Vingård winery, home to the acclaimed Restaurant ÄNG and where construction has begun on a 28-room resort, where each cabin has its own natural pool, sauna, and bathing dock in the room. The new rooms are at the center of the vineyard with proximity to Sinnenas Spa, the Michelin-starred Restaurant ÄNG and the vineyard.

Winemaker Claes Bartoldsson says Astad is not as cold as one might expect, as it’s located near Varburg, a beach destination known for surfing. “The greatest challenge for us is the temperature in May and June, the fact that some years the temperature in May and June just won’t get high enough for the vines to develop in a good way, thus having problems getting the flowering going,” Bartoldsson says. “In the worst years for us, the season is almost over before the flowering. If we get through that part of the year, we don’t have more challenges than any other marginal wine region in the world.”

Despite the naysayers, Bartoldsson fully believes the Scandinavian wine scene will flourish. “Everyone is very optimistic right now,” he says. “There have been a lot of new wineries popping up in the last few years. When people see that it’s actually possible to make great wine in Sweden with decent consistency of yields, I can really see it taking off. I wouldn’t be shocked if there were 10 times as many vineyards planted in 10 years.

Roman agrees, saying this is just the beginning of a long ramp toward success, similar to the Canadian industry in the 1980s. “The Swedish wine industry has been alive for around 20 years,” Roman says. “At the beginning the wine producers used to get many complaints about the wines, but this is because of the learning curve.

“These days the overall quality has risen tremendously and it is very impressive that for the first generation of producers they have taken on such a big challenge and have succeeded.

“This shows to me the potential for the future is really limitless.”